Virtual world avatar control, interactivity and communication interactive messaging

Abstract

Methods and systems for rendering an interactive virtual environment for communication is provided. The interactive virtual environment is depicted from images to be displayed on a display and the interactive virtual environment is generated by a computer program that is executed on at least one computer of a computer network system. The interactive virtual environment includes one or more virtual user avatars controlled by real-world users. The method further includes controlling a virtual user avatar to move about a virtual space and generating an interface for composing a message to be displayed as a virtual message within the virtual space. The virtual message is posted to an interactive space within the virtual space. The method further includes associating permissions to the virtual message, such that the permissions define which of the one more virtual user avatars are able to view the virtual message that is posted to the interactive space. The virtual message is one of a plurality of virtual message posted to the interactive space, and the permissions prevent viewing of the virtual message by virtual user avatars that do not have permission to view the virtual message. The permissions may be based on one of buddy lists, game familiarity relative to other real-world users, skill level of other real-world users, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the avatars can be computer controlled bots, thus not requiring a real-world user to dictate control.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY[0001]This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 892,397, entitled “VIRTUAL WORLD COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS”, filed on Mar. 1, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0002]This application is related to: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. SONYP066 / SCEA06112US00) entitled “Interactive User Controlled Avatar Animations”, filed on the same date as the instant application, (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. SONYP068 / SCEA06114US00) entitled “Virtual World User Opinion & Response Monitoring”, filed on the same date as the instant application, (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 403,179 entitled “System and Method for Using User's Audio Environment to Select Advertising”, filed on 12 Apr. 2006, (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 407,299 entitled “Using Visual Environment to Select Ads on Game Platform”, filed on 1...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]In another embodiment, a method for rendering an interactive virtual environment for communication is defined. The interactive virtual environment is depicted from images to be displayed on a display and the interactive virtual environment is generated by a computer program that is executed on at least one computer of a computer network system. The interactive virtual environment includes one or more virtual user avatars controlled by real-world users. The method further includes controlling a virtual user avatar to move about a virtual space and generating an interface for composing a message to be displayed as a virtual message within the virtual space. The virtual message is posted to an interactive space within the virtual space. The method further includes associating permissions to the virtual message, such that the permissions define which of the one more virtual user avatars are able to view the virtual message that is posted to the interactive space. The virtual message is one of a plurality of virtual message posted to the interactive space, and the permissions prevent viewing of the virtual message by virtual user avatars that do not have permission to view the virtual message. In this embodiment, the permissions are based on one of buddy lists, game familiarity relative to other real-world users, skill level of other real-world users, and combinations thereof.

[0010]In one embodiment, a method for rendering an interactive virtual environment for communication is defined. The interactive virtual environment is depicted from images to be displayed on a display and the interactive virtual environment is generated by a computer program that is executed on at least one computer of a computer network system. The interactive virtual environment includes one or more virtual user avatars controlled by real-world users. The method includes controlling a virtual user avatar to move about a virtual space and generating an interface for composing a message to be displayed as a virtual message within the virtual space. The virtual message is posted to an interactive space within the virtual space. The method associates permissions to the virtual message, and the permissions define which of the one more virtual user avatars are able to view the virtual message that is posted to the interactive space. The method graphically displays the virtual message as a graphic image in a scene of the virtual space. The method further enables moving the graphic image of the virtual message through graphic control of a virtual user avatar, where the virtual user avatar is controlled by a real-world user through a controller.

Problems solved by technology

The nature of interactions among users of the virtual world is often limited by the constraints of the system implementing the virtual world.

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